


Another Day

by allofuswithwings



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Feelings, Gen, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-06
Updated: 2016-04-06
Packaged: 2018-05-31 15:25:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6475717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allofuswithwings/pseuds/allofuswithwings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frank isn't ready when ordinary life interrupts a mission in the park one day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Another Day

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in one sitting as a birthday present for a friend of mine. Basically a drabble, it doesn't really have a greater plot, just some musings on Frank, because he gives me so many feelings.

*

 

Frank wasn’t paying attention when she ran over.

 

A young girl, about six or seven years old, with strawberry blond hair and wearing a yellow dress.  She had eyes for nothing but his dog, Max, who was leashed to a tree beside the bench where Frank was sitting.  He’d had been too busy scouting the park for his target to notice her approach, excitable in the way only kids could be when they came across animals.

 

She squealed as Max stood up and came to greet her, his tail whipping from side to side.

 

Her father wasn’t far behind, chasing her down in what seemed like a familiar pursuit.

 

“Megan, you know you’re not supposed to run up to dogs you don’t know,” he said, taking her by the wrist to keep her back from Max.

 

“But he’s so cute!” she exclaimed, reaching a hand out to try and touch the dog again.

 

The father eyed Frank, wary.

 

It had been about six months since Frank’s escape from prison, and he was dressed in inconspicuous clothes and a hat in one of the further out neighborhoods of the city; it was possible the man recognized him, but also possible he was just suspicious of strange men near his daughter.

 

Frank sat forward on the bench, gesturing to Max.

 

“It’s alright, he’s friendly,” he said.  “He looks big and tough, but he’s all sugar really.”

 

Megan stuck out a hand again, fingers spread apart, and Max leaned forward as far as he could on his leash to sniff and then lick it furiously.  She giggled, and Frank felt his chest tighten.

 

“His name is Max,” Frank managed to get out.

 

He stopped himself from keeping his eyes on her too long, knowing that sort of behavior would be noticed very quickly by a parent.  The dad knelt down beside his daughter and the two of them patted and rubbed the dog for a minute or so, Megan making noises at him all the while.

 

Lisa had been animal-crazy like that.  Whether it was dogs, cats, rats– hell, even snakes – she would be there touching them in the blink of an eye, completely unafraid and curious.  Frank had thought someday she’d be a vet, or maybe one of those people that made documentaries about lions in Africa.  She could’ve been anything she wanted.

 

Megan looked over at Frank now, who found his heart beating hard as a hammer at the girl’s intense gaze.

 

“He likes ear scratches,” she informed him.

 

Frank gave a smile and a nod.

 

“That he does,” he replied.  “Keep that up and you’ll have a new best friend.”

 

She grinned back at him, and Frank had to look away, training his eyes back on Max.

 

Her father stood back up, taking Megan’s hand again.

 

“Come on, we should get back,” he said.  “Say thank you for letting you pet the dog.”

 

Megan beamed at Max and then turned to Frank.

 

“Thank you!”

 

Frank thought it was a good job he was still sitting down, the way his legs turned to jelly at her smile.

 

Megan and her father headed off, and Max settled back down at the base of the tree.  Frank turned his concentration back to the rest of the park, scanning the joggers for any sign of his mark.

 

After a couple of minutes, Frank realized his head was still full of that little girl’s yellow dress and tinkling laugh.  He sighed and ran a hand over his face.

 

Standing up and turning toward the tree, he untied Max’s leash.  Then he headed back along the path, toward the park exit.

 

Frank’s heart was feeling uncomfortably messy, and he knew it was no use pursuing a mark in this state.  Retribution would just have to wait another day.

 

*


End file.
